Archive for August, 2010

US lead slips in world’s top 100 universities – American universities continued to lead the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities, but US dominance of the global top 100 list compiled by China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University slipped this year, to 54 institutions against 67 in 2009. Harvard clinched the top slot, as it has since the ranking was first published in 2003.

Richard Holmes, author of the University Ranking Watch blog, charts a decline in the dominance of universities from the West and Japan and states that the methodological stability of the Shanghai ranking makes it the most reliable for monitoring changes in the world of scientific research. In a related article, professors of higher education Philip G Altbach and Anthony Welch argue that under-funding of higher education and the money-making goal of internationalisation in Australia have undermined the strong reputation of its universities.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developments has presented its innovation strategy, focusing on human capital and education. The initiative was launched at a ministerial council meeting in May following a three-year multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder effort, the organisation announced.

The OECD says innovation is a key driver of economic growth and social progress that holds an essential role in the economic recovery and creating jobs. Human capital is the source of innovation, and empowering people to innovate requires not only broad and relevant education and training but also opportunities to leverage these skills through the economy and society.

Education and training systems should equip people to learn and develop the broad range of skills needed for innovation, and with the flexibility to upgrade skills and adapt to changing economic and social conditions, says the OECD.

Some policy principles emerging from its analysis were to:

* Develop curricula and pedagogies that develop the capacity to learn throughout life.
* Improve educational outcomes to facilitate participation in further learning and training.
* Continue to reform tertiary education systems.
* Connect vocational education and training to the world of work.
* Enable women to play a larger role in the innovation process.
* Support international mobility.
* Foster innovative workplaces.

For further information: the Innovation Strategy for Education and Training of the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation builds on the organisation’s innovation strategy, and will continue its work on ‘Education and skills for innovation’ and ‘Innovation and improvement for education’.